


you made me feel (alive)

by youresomoneybaby



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Cheating, College Student Penelope, Drinking, F/F, Fluff, Inspired By a Bazzi Song, Inspired by Music, Light Angst, Musician Josie, maybe? - Freeform, posie endgame?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24899425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youresomoneybaby/pseuds/youresomoneybaby
Summary: Five years ago, Josie moved out to Los Angeles by herself to pursue a music career. In the middle of working on her first album, she finds herself exhausted and lacking inspiration which triggers an impromptu trip back home to Mystic Falls. Although reluctant at first, she ends up attending a college party where she meets Penelope. The night they spent together is full of dancing, laughs, and way too much vodka.If only she could keep the thoughts of her girlfriend away.ORThe song 3:15 by Bazzi but make it Posie.
Relationships: Jade/Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 22
Kudos: 133





	you made me feel (alive)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This idea came to me a while back and wouldn't go away until I spent way too much time writing and rewriting it all out. If you haven't heard the song yet, I do highly recommend it because 1. It's a mf BOP, and 2. It'll give you a good idea on how the story goes. :)

It was three years after her music career took off. 

Three years since her single went viral and thrusted her into fame that she didn’t know was possible. The whole ordeal was like a plot straight from a movie, really. You go to bed one night after staying up far too late reading comments from your fans about how much they love the new song ~~even the hateful ones because you need to humble yourself~~ then you go to bed. The next morning your phone is flooded with notifications saying that your song went viral on some app and days later, you’re signed to a record label.

It really does happen that fast.

The amount of relief that washed over Josie that day was immeasurable. Just five years prior, she packed up her entire life and moved across the country on the pretense of pursuing music in LA when her aunt offered her an apartment at the complex she managed. Leaving Mystic Falls was hard, saying goodbye to her parents, her sister, and friends. This was the longest she’d ever been apart from Lizzie and while extremely difficult in the beginning, she was glad that she was finally able to learn how to be her own person.

And there was Jade.

Having a girlfriend made things a lot easier too.

Jade was beautiful. Blonde hair, blue eyes, great smile. In a way, she was the epitome of a Cali girl, everything that Josie didn’t know she liked(?). Some days Jade spent more time in the gym than at Josie’s apartment, but on those days, Josie was so exhausted from a long day of unfulfilling songwriting that it didn’t even matter. There were plenty of times that Josie thought to herself, maybe the only reason why she was dating Jade to begin with was so she wasn’t entirely alone. Lizzie had told her multiple times to watch out for the ‘gold diggers’ and ‘bland ass Valley Girls that only want to use you’ out in LA. Maybe she should’ve listened.

The two met shortly after Josie moved out to California one fateful day at a coffee shop and clicked right away. The promise to be friends quickly became more when they both leaned in for a drunken kiss after some house party. 

The relationship moved a lot faster after that. Within a month they were practically living together which, if it weren’t for their respective jobs, would’ve effectively eliminated any time of day that they  _ weren’t  _ together. Then it only took a year for the relationship to die down. And after three years together, it seemed like they were on auto pilot more often than not. Kisses lacked their previous spark, touches and interactions felt forced. And Josie didn’t know if that was mutual or just on her part. Some days she swore she could still see the same love in Jade’s eyes the first time they shared I love yous.

Part of the reason why Josie felt so drained now was probably because of how fast they moved in the beginning. Even with the fast paced excitement that came with living in LA, dating a beautiful girl and doing what she loved.. Josie hadn’t felt alive in a long time.

For months, she blamed her lack of interest in her relationship on her work, and vice versa. Rushing your first album is definitely not the way to go ~~even though it did end up working out in the end~~. The pressure of being signed just days after the incredible success of a song that she was joking around with, was insane. 

During one vodka induced night at Jade’s apartment, the smartest string of words left Jade’s lips.

“Maybe you should take a trip back home, see your parents and sister. I hate seeing you so stressed, baby..”

  
  


That was how she found herself on a five hour flight to Mystic Falls. She talked it over with her manager and after some arguing and rescheduling, they somehow made time for Josie to go and visit at the last minute. With so much work left to be done on the album, merch, and god knows what else, she was only able to stay for a day. But that was better than nothing.

Her parents and Lizzie greeted her right when she exited the plane. Living in LA might have desensitized Josie to all the airport cliches because within seconds of spotting her parents, she dropped all her luggage and ran into their arms. 

_ Warm. Safe. Home. _

Even if it was only for a day. 

For a split second, Josie was sure that this was what she was missing, what she needed to feel alive. Being back home where things were comfortable, where the amount of time people spent at the gym didn’t outweigh the time they spent with their loved ones, this was it. She wouldn’t have to worry about what to order because ‘celebrities don’t get fat, babe’ or worry about what she’d wear in the morning. 

She was home. 

The first night back at home she stayed up all night talking with Lizzie after a lengthy family dinner. Unlike her, Lizzie decided to continue her education by attending the local university on a full scholarship. Now in her last year of college, her own life was about to take off. She talked animatedly about the friends she made through her sorority, the highs and lows of being student body president, and as well as the budding relationship with their childhood friend, Hope. It wasn’t until that conversation that Josie realized how much she missed by being in Los Angeles. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought and she quickly wiped them away.

“Jo? What’s wrong?”

Josie shook her head, swallowing and clearing her throat so her voice wouldn’t betray her. “I just missed you all. I feel like a whole lifetime has gone by since I was last here. You’ve accomplished so much and I don’t even have my album done yet. What if the rest of the songs I write don’t come anywhere near the caliber of Mine?” 

Lizzie shut that down quickly, arms extended out to pull Josie close to her. “That’s not true, Josie and you know it. Albums take  _ time,  _ they’re not made overnight. Didn’t that one rock band take fourteen years to make an album?”

“Guns N’ Roses’?” 

“Yeah, that one! See, Jo? There’s no rush. I know you feel this crazy amount of pressure right now because you just got signed, but don’t feel bad for wanting to take your time with it. I just know that whatever you’re going to put out, it’ll be amazing and I’m going to be the first person to buy it. Hell, I’ll even buy a damn CD so you better sign it.” How was it that her sister knew just the right things to say every time?

She gave Lizzie a watery smile, her arms tightening around her sisters shoulders as the last few tears slid down her cheeks. They both pulled away just enough so Lizzie could wipe her cheeks, then suddenly her eyes widened.

“I just had a great idea.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh  _ yes.  _ My sorority is throwing a party tomorrow night and we’re going. I’ll drag Hope too. It’ll be good for you, loosen up and just have fun. C’mon, Josie, it’s been years since we all partied together and this is your only night! Pleasee!”

“Okay okay! Fine!”

Hopefully she wouldn’t regret saying yes.

~

Josie lived in Los Angeles the past couple years. She’s visited houses in Calabasas, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the whole shabang. So she’s sure she’s seen the biggest houses out there. Until they stepped out of the car.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma house?

Was.

HUGE.

“Holy fuck, Lizzie. How much funding do you guys have?” She almost shouted to her sister from the street. They hadn’t even entered the house yet and Josie was kind of scared to see how packed a mansion like that could be. 

“Kappa Kappa Gamma is filled with rich girls, Jo. Their families all donate crazy amounts of money to them every semester. To be honest with you, I have  _ no idea  _ how I managed to get in but I’m not mad. They have the best parties, now let’s go! Hope’s already inside.”

The house was somehow even bigger inside.  _ It’s like fucking Harry Potter or something. _

They found Hope immediately upon entering. The redhead turned to face them the moment they opened the door and threw herself into Josie’s arms. “Oh my god, I missed you so much Josie.” Hope said into her neck. They stayed wrapped in each other for a little while longer before pulling away and making a beeline for the kitchen. An assortment of drinks littered every surface of the counters. Jungle juice, hard liquor, beer; any and all alcohol ever made was laid out right in front of her in the overfunded sorority house.

Unfortunately for Lizzie and Hope, Josie was adamant on not drinking too much at a party like this. The last thing she needed was to get blacked out drunk and do something to embarrass herself and end up trending on Twitter in the morning. Her publicist might just have a heart attack. So instead, she opted to nurse a beer as she watched her sister and best friend knock back shots after shots. 

The three of them kept up a pace like that well until around midnight. The two girls were almost to the point of passing out and Josie just watched with amusement, only interfering every once in a while if someone got too close or they were about to run into someone. Too bad she was too late the one time she glanced down to check the time to stop Hope from knocking a drink out of a girl’s hand.

“Oof--!” 

“Hope!”

She caught her friend before she hit the floor and tugged her back, but the damage was already done. Hope had knocked the girl’s drink out of her hand and all over the girl’s very expensive looking shoes. “I’m so sorry--” Josie started but was quickly cut off by a voice.

“Mikaelson, what the hell? This is the third pair you’ve ruined!” The girl yelled at Hope who just smiled sheepishly back at her. And then the weirdest thing happened; they both started laughing. 

_ With  _ each other. 

Josie just watched, confusion muddling her expression as her brown eyes darted back and forth between the two. 

“Sorry, Pen. But it’s a special night! Little Josie is visiting for one night only and is therefore partying with us, so we have to celebrate!”

The girl who Hope so affectionately called  _ Pen  _ glanced up at Josie like she just realized she was standing there and all the air left her lungs. She was eye level with Josie, the heels making her wonder just how much shorter she actually was. Her hair was as dark as midnight and fell in curls around her face, ending just past her ridiculously sharp jawline. There was a small mole just to the right of her  _ very full  _ lips that were now pulled into a smirk, and her eyes were the most vibrant green Josie had ever seen in her life. 

“Little Josie?” Damn it. Even her voice was nice too.

“Just Josie, actually. Hope only puts the ‘little’ in front when she’s very drunk.” She managed to respond with little to no waver in her voice. A pat on the back for not stuttering like an idiot in front of a pretty girl. 

“Well, Josie. Looks like you owe me a drink on behalf of Hope, who just ran off to most likely makeout with your sister.” She cringed on reflex, shaking the thought out of her head. She didn’t have a chance to respond because Pen took her one second of silence as an invitation to grab her hand and pull her back to the kitchen. Josie didn’t let herself dwell on the fact that the girl’s hand was so soft and warm, or the fact that the second their hands touched her whole body felt like it was on fire. 

“What’re you drinking, Josie?” The girl had let go of her hand as they walked up to the counter, hands reaching out in every direction until they settled on a bottle of Titos. When Josie didn’t respond, she was given another glance in the girl’s eyes. Once again, she felt her heart stutter and her breath hitch in her throat. In her other hand was still the same beer she had all night which she held up with a shy smile. Pen scoffed and took the bottle from her only to replace it with a red solo cup. 

“The good stuff. Titos is the best vodka for your buck, and I will gladly fight you on that.” To her surprise, she accepted the drink without question. It was halfway full, making her think that it was probably cut with something when she wasn’t looking. She brought the cup up to her lips and took a big sip only to pull back in disgust, the alcohol burning her throat all the way down to her belly.    
  


“Is this all vodka?!”

The raven haired girl smirked at her and clinked her own cup against Josie’s. “Only the best.” Josie watched with fascination as the girl tilted her head back and threw back half a cup of vodka. Her eyes followed the column of her slender neck, watching as her throat bobbed when she swallowed a grotesque amount of alcohol. Quickly, she tore her eyes away only to make eye contact with the girl again. From the grin on her face, Josie knew she got caught. 

“Is Pen short for something?”

“Penelope.” She said without hesitation. “Is Josie short for something?”

A beat of silence.

“Promise me you won’t laugh.” The grin on Penelope’s face widened as she took a step closer to her. 

“Promise.” Josie looked down to see Penelope’s hand extended to her, all her fingers curled in except for her pinky. She hooked their pinkies together, not wanting to let another chance to touch Penelope pass her by.

“Josette.” 

And to her amazement, Penelope didn’t laugh. Instead, a softness settled in her features. “That’s pretty.”

“You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not. A pretty name for a pretty girl.” 

Her heart was thundering in her chest. With a quick glance down, she realized their hands were still ~~unnecessarily but not really~~ linked with no end in sight. Josie shouldn’t, but she found herself not minding if they never let go. 

_ Jade. _

Her brain tried to remind her through the vodka haze. Her girlfriend. Jade. Back in Los Angeles. Blonde and blue eyed, beautiful and supportive. Yet as she watched something in Penelope’s eyes shift, her thoughts were suddenly now filled with nothing but black hair, green eyes and lips that Josie really wanted to feel against hers. 

“Wanna get out of here?” 

“Please.”

~

After chugging down the rest of their drinks-- Penelope with gusto and Josie with disgust-- Josie sent Hope and Lizzie a quick apology text that she was going to grab something to eat with a new friend. Surprisingly, Hope managed to respond a few minutes after with a jumbled ‘ _ ate you witg pantolope _ ?’

She just replied a yes. 

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Do you like Mexican?” 

Since the both of them were almost drunk and didn’t drive, they started walking along the sidewalk of Greek row, shoulders brushing against each other with every step. Penelope was leaning into Josie’s side as they walked, likely for stability, but Josie didn’t mind because she was leaning back just as much. Every few minutes their hands would brush against each other and Josie tried to ignore the temptation to just lace their fingers together. 

“I think Mexican food after alcohol should be mandatory.” 

“My kind of woman.”

_ Oh my god, say that again.  _ The guilt that spiked through her as the thought ran through her mind was nothing but a dull ache.

Turns out, being drunk and trying to navigate isn’t one of Penelope’s strong suits. They probably walked around the same neighborhood for around an hour before making the correct turn out and onto a dead street. “What time is it?”

“1:30, why?”

Josie shook her head, forgetting that the small town of Mystic Falls on a Friday night was nowhere near the magnitude of Los Angeles. 

“I’ve been in LA for too long. I forget that people have practical bedtimes here, even on the weekends.” 

By now the alcohol had to be blocking the logical part of her brain because when Penelope smiled at her, her first instinct was to lean in and kiss her and she didn’t see any issue with it. 

“C’mon, we’re here.” 

Penelope took her hand once more while the other pushed open the door of the restaurant. 

They chatted lightheartedly over their own respective burritos, a shared plate of carne asada fries and of course, tequila. Josie learned that Penelope met Hope in a freshman year English class and then Lizzie the next semester after. Her family moved to Mystic Falls when she was six because her dad was in the military and somehow managed to stay ever since. She wasn’t a part of the sorority though, only attending the parties because she made friends with a bunch of pledges early on and for all the free alcohol.

Josie in turn, told her about her move out to Los Angeles to pursue music. What it was like growing up as a twin and having to recite their usual tagline, ‘Fraternal. Obvi’. She hesitated for a second on whether or not she was going to tell her the whole truth, but she figured that the song had already gone viral so it wasn’t a secret anyways. 

“Don’t be offended okay? But I’ve literally never heard of that song.” 

“Wait, really? You don’t use Snapchat or Tik Tok?”

Penelope shook her head before taking a monstrous bite from her burrito. “Tik Tok isn’t my thing. I got too many unsolicited dick pics on Snapchat so I deleted it within a week of it first releasing.” 

“Are you on any social media at all?”

Once again, she shook her head. “Pre-law keeps me kind of busy, Jojo. Plus, social media kills the brain and is terrible overall for mental health. Does it hurt your feelings that I don’t know how big and famous you are?” The smirk that lined her lips told Josie that she was joking and she found herself smiling back. 

“I’m quite wounded, actually.”

She was quite far from wounded, in reality.

~

Through her conversations with Penelope, Josie was able to deduce that she was unlike any girl she ever met while in Los Angeles. The girls back at ‘home’ frankly had dry personalities. They were so wrapped up in putting on the perfect facade but in person and online, they don’t stay true to themselves. More than once Josie found herself almost falling asleep mid conversation with some girls that came up to her at work functions. Penelope held her own against Josie’s banter, giving it back as well as she took. She laughed heartily, not caring if she didn’t look or sound cute, and not afraid to speak her opinions. 

If Penelope lived in Mystic Falls all her life, why did it take so long for them to finally meet?

~

Once they were finished eating, they began the stumble home. Or more, the poor attempt at a wobble to walk Penelope back to her dorm like the gentlewoman Josie was. While it might’ve been a good idea at first, the tequila was definitely hitting the both of them hard now. The two of them wandered throughout the streets, dancing to their own humming of songs from the 80s. 

Things got really intense when Josie belted out the chorus of  _ Anyway You Want It _ by Journey.

It was the first time in months that Josie really enjoyed herself, and over the course of the night, their touches became more frequent while thoughts of Jade were far from her mind.

At one point during their aimless wandering around East Lansing Street, Penelope tugged her over to the window of a shop. The neon lights illuminated Penelope’s face in a vibrant glow that only enhanced her beauty even further.  _ Somehow.  _

“Fun fact exclusively for you, Ms. Josie Saltzman, this was where I got my first job.” Josie’s hand was resting on her waist as Penelope leaned back against the window, one hand on Josie’s arm while the other laced their fingers together. The gesture  _ totally  _ didn’t make Josie’s face flush like a tomato and suddenly, she was very grateful for the stupid sign.

“I can see it.”

“Yeah?”

Josie nodded, taking a daring step closer. “I can totally see a teenage Penelope just chilling behind the counter, ready to sell me comic books.” 

Penelope smiled at her again and this time, Josie let herself be pulled in by Penelope’s orbit as their lips met in a soft kiss. 

It was awkward at first. Their teeth knocked together at first partially due to their intoxication as well as Josie’s natural unsteadiness, but after a couple seconds, they found a rhythm. Hands grasped at her to tug her closer until their bodies were flush. Then in a split second, the kiss got hungrier. More desperate. And Josie didn’t bother holding back the fact that she was ridiculously attracted to Penelope. Her body was singing to her, the spots that Penelope touched on her body leaving a white hot trail in its wake. It took a few minutes to realize that they were still in public, making out against the window of Penelope’s old employer. 

Penelope was the first to break away, chest heaving as she caught her breath and a dazed look in her eyes. Josie was sure that she looked the same.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”

“Me too.” 

There was no hesitation in her response this time.

~

Another hour was spent wandering the streets leading up to Penelope’s dorm. They talked, danced and somehow managed to stumble into a convenience store for another bottle of vodka. Hand in hand they painted the town. For two people that had only met just a few hours prior, they acted like the complete opposite. It was like they had known each other their whole lives or had been together for years. 

_ Kind of like how people probably thought how her and Jade were. _

Just another sip of vodka is all she’d need to forget that thought now. Maybe a few more kisses from Penelope too.

Before, Josie had only ever seen college dorms on tv. Turns out, those fuckers lied, because Penelope’s dorm looked  _ nothing  _ like what it did in her favorite Netflix shows. The room was medium sized, a single bed that was surely a hot commodity  _ and  _ she had her own bathroom. From what she could pull from her memory when Lizzie was checking out dorms, the bathroom alone must’ve cost her an arm and a leg. Her twin sized bed was up against the left side of the room upon entrance while the bathroom was on the right. Her desk was straight ahead, pushed up against the only window in the entire room that gave her a clear view of the quad. It was cozy but cool at the same time. 

She continued to take in the rock posters that hung on her wall, the small stack of comic books next to her bed, and the plethora of makeup scattered along one side of her desk. Her eyes continued to wander about her room until she started to feel a little weird for just standing there and staring. For the most part, it was a clean room. Penelope seemed like someone that was a stickler for that kind of thing. 

“Jojo?” She looked up to see Penelope already sitting on the bed, patting the spot next to her with a smile. Without a word, she shuffled over and crawled onto the spot next to her. The smell of her perfume lingered on her sheets, it made Josie’s head swim. 

She took the bottle of Titos that was offered to her with a shy smile and took a hearty sip. It only took a few hours of drinking with Penelope for her to already forgo a chaser. Lizzie and Hope were gonna flip when they find out. Though she definitely didn’t need to be drinking anymore, and while it was never a logical excuse, she continued to take her turn at drinking because she needed some liquid courage to finally let go.

After passing the bottle back and forth a few times, Penelope suddenly shot to her feet and grabbed Josie with her in the process. She turned around to click a few times on her phone until music began to play. When she turned back to face her, she had a different smile this time. The corners of her lips were tugged wide, showing a hint of teeth; the first kind of smile she directed to Josie that night. 

_ The best damn smile I’ve ever laid my eyes on,  _ Josie thought.

And then they were dancing. Slow and sensual at first, just moving their bodies in unison to the beat until the song changed to something more upbeat. In between dances and little fits of laughter here and there, they finished the bottle of vodka. Josie was well past drunk at this point, now feeling the bottle of spirits work its magic all over her body, warming her comfortingly. 

Somehow, they found their way onto the bed again, this time lying side by side. The tiny voice in her head told her that she was going to regret all that drinking in the morning, ~~and her choices~~ but for the upteenth time that night, she didn’t care.

It felt so comfortable to be laying next to Penelope like this, just listening to the quiet rumble of music from her phone mixed with her breathing. Penelope broke the silence first. It was a whisper so quiet that Josie wasn’t sure if she really heard it or not. But she did.

“I like you a lot, Josie.” 

They both glanced at each other at the same time, eyes meeting. The vulnerability in Penelope’s eyes mirrored Josie’s, the look telling her just how much meaning was put behind those four words.

And with her belly full of spirits and her inhibitions low, she replied, “I really like you, too.”

The top button of Josie’s blouse was the first to go. Then the top followed shortly after. The two of them both knew what it would lead to but just too scared to initiate it. After Josie’s shirt, it was Penelope’s. Then they did the same by taking turns with their pants until they were both under the raven haired girl’s duvet, naked and exposed. Touches and kisses were traded feverishly, the desire to just be  _ close  _ to one another fueling their ambitions.

A lot of gasps of mumbled  _ yes _ es,  _ please _ s _ ,  _ and  _ harder,  _ fell from Josie’s mouth. Penelope cursed like a sailor. 

How fitting.

~

The night ended there, worn out after multiple rounds of exploring each other’s bodies. Penelope fell asleep easily, curled up on her side sated and spent, but sleep evaded Josie. She laid there next to her in the small bed, the smell of Penelope mixed with her perfume enveloping all of Josie’s senses as realization began to set in. All night she did her best to push the thoughts away. To ignore the truth that she so badly didn’t want to be her reality. But it was still there. Now, with nothing to distract her, no alcohol and no Penelope.

Josie just cheated on her girlfriend. 

The guilt was soul crushing, hitting her like a semi truck. Nobody deserved this. Not even Jade. Sure, they had more downs than ups in their relationship recently, but they worked through that kind of thing. They always did. People in relationships that lasted as long as theirs sat down and talked through their shit, not fly off to another state and hookup with another girl. While she knew that neither of them hadn’t been happy in months, the thought of breaking up didn’t really cross her mind. In all honesty, she was too busy to really think about it. 

Maybe now it was time that she did.

Realizing now that she had no trouble doing so in the moment made her question everything. Did she really care so little about her relationship? About Jade? Josie never thought of herself as such a callous person, if anything everyone told her the opposite. Cheating wasn’t a  _ thing  _ a good person did. Never.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, making sure to control her breathing to the best of her ability as she ran though the things she  _ did  _ know.

In just one night back home at Mystic Falls, she smiled and laughed more than she did all five years in LA. Not only did she get to see her parents and have dinner with them like before, but she got to go out and actually  _ have fun  _ with Lizzie and Hope. She missed watching the two of them do stupid stuff and bicker over the smallest things. What did she have in LA?

_ Jade.  _ She was first on the list. E ~~ven though she wasn’t the first to come to mind.~~ Her music career. ‘ _ All those opportunities just waiting for you to take them!’  _ Her manager said to her once. Her team at the studio, her favorite guitar sitting in her living room..

And…. the barista that knew her coffee order by heart?

Not a lot. There wasn’t a lot waiting for her back in LA, but it wasn’t like she could just up and move back hope. She had already sacrificed too much only to move back just because she’s been feeling a little down.

Right?

No.

She shouldn’t be thinking about this right now, not when there was still Titos and tequila lingering in her veins.

She sat up slowly, the blanket sliding down her body and pooling at her waist to reveal a still bare torso. Brown eyes scanned the expanse of Penelope’s back, the muscles that lined it, the two little indents right above her tailbone, as well as the little beauty marks that were here and there. 

The chemistry she had with Penelope was off the charts. In the span of a few hours, Josie opened up more to her than she ever had to any of her past relationships. She was happier with Penelope in just one night than she was in the entirety of her relationship with Jade.

Who knew a girl that she met at a party would make her question everything important to her.

With a glance to her right she was greeted with the blaring face of Penelope’s digital alarm, the neon green numbers staring back at her angrily in the dimmed room like it knew what she did. 

And how little she cared. 

_ 3:15am. _

~

Josie waited another hour before finally slipping out of Penelope’s bed to pull her clothes on. She had to be home in time so she wouldn’t miss her flight back to LA, no matter how much she didn’t want to. In that short hour spent with herself, listening to Penelope’s steady breathing, she made a decision. She was going to break up with Jade. Their relationship ran its course and they had fun but it was time. The spark just isn’t there anymore and it would be better for the both of them if they ended things now. Maybe they could remain friends? Exes did that occasionally, right?

That was the little speech she prepared in her head. In hindsight, it sounded a lot better in the moment. 

“Penelope,” Josie whispered against her shoulder as she pressed a light kiss there. The girl turned over, brows knitted together as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I’ve gotta go. My flights in a few hours.” Penelope sat up then, and Josie tried not to let her eyes linger too long on her chest. She pulled her in for a sweet kiss that left her breathless and made her heart race.

“Will you call me when you land?” Josie glanced down to see Penelope’s phone materialized in her hand. She took it after a brief moment of deliberation and punched her number in. Done and dusted.

A second later, her own phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling the text Penelope sent so they both had each other's numbers.

“I look forward to that phone call, Jojo.” 

~

“You look like hell.” 

Josie glared at Rebekha who only glared back. She knew she looked like hell. The dark circles under her eyes only enhanced the tired look on her face. The blonde was sitting on the couch in the recording studio when Josie made her entrance. It’s been two days since she came back from Mystic Falls and two days since the last time she slept. Or so it felt like it. Between working on the album nonstop and doing press in between, there was barely time to even eat. 

“Let’s get to work.” 

Back to the grind. Even straight from the airport, it was back to work. Writing, playing, recording, mixing. 

She saw Jade a few hours after her flight landed after spending too many hours at the recording studio. Josie was ready to give into the exhaustion and just collapse on her bed. But Jade had other plans. The blonde was waiting in her apartment with takeout and a teddy bear that held a sign that said, ‘ _ I can’t BEAR to be without you’.  _ Josie had to quickly exit the contact card that held Penelope’s number and put the phone away to greet her girlfriend. It burned a hole in her pocket for the rest of the evening.

Jade’s surprise did little to ease the guilt that was gnawing at her.

Josie did try though. She tried her  _ damned  _ hardest to forget about the night with Penelope. To forget how amazing it felt just to be around her, the sweetness of her kisses or the ever present mischievous glint in her eyes.

To forget how  _ alive  _ she felt.

She had to. 

Because deep down, a piece of her still loved Jade. And that piece couldn’t bear to see how Jade would fall apart once Josie told her the truth. 

So she didn’t say anything. 

And she didn’t call Penelope. Not later that night, long after Jade fell asleep cuddled up next to her. God, did she want to though. Several times a day since her flight back she thought about sending a text. Something witty, a joke, what she had for lunch, or even how the sunset looked that day. As time continued to pass, it only made it more difficult to want to reach out. So Josie did what Josie does best; she shoved her feelings and desires into a little box deep in her mind labeled,  _ DO NOT TOUCH! _

Instead, she channeled all of her remaining energy into being the best girlfriend she could be for Jade. Because she deserved to be treated well and that was the right thing to do. Even if a piece of her was dying inside. The piece that she left back at the dorm in Mystic Falls with Penelope whose kisses are all she’ll ever be able to think about now everytime she sees that bottle of vodka. 

~

A year later Josie was set to go on her first tour. Her debut album had just been released, her fans picking apart their favorite tracks just hours after launch. The amount of love and support she received after it was released was overwhelming. It made all the sleepless nights spent trying out different beats and singing for hours on end in the studio until her throat hurt worth it. 

Lizzie was the first to call. She barely managed to get a word in because of all the screaming that her sister did on the other end. Somewhere within the noise, she could hear Hope and her parents screaming too. Now, she was ready to perform a couple songs from the album live on one of the hottest late night talk shows. Every time she started to get anxious, she grabbed her phone and scrolled mindlessly through old photos, her apps, or her contacts.

Penelope’s number was still saved on her phone. She finally mustered up the courage to text her two months after she broke up with Jade. And that was four months ago.

_ Josie Saltzman: My neighborhood’s got terrible reception. _

_ Josie Saltzman: I landed safely though. _

What she didn’t expect was a text back thirty minutes later.

_ Penelope the Pantolope: Thank God because I’ve been dying to find out.  _

_ Penelope the Pantolope: Do you realize how on edge I’ve been all this time, Jojo? _

“Josie, you’re up.” One of the stage techs said softly to her. She handed her phone over to Rebekha who took it happily. The smile on her face showed how proud she was at how far Josie had come. First album complete, tour around the corner and now about to perform for millions of viewers live. 

She took the mic and earpiece that was handed to her and waited for her cue before stepping onto the stage. The crowd erupted in a cheer so loud that it made her heart squeeze. The entire front row of fans had signs with her face, her name, and an abundance of hearts all around. 

“Hi guys,” Josie said softly into the mic. The crowd cheered again and Josie couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips. “So I’ve got a special one for you tonight. This ones one of my favorites and I know you all like it too.” She slid onto the wooden stool and picked up the guitar that was previously set there for her.

  
“This is  _ 3:15 _ .”

**Author's Note:**

> Pantolope Park. Might be my best work yet. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed it, the idea has been gnawing at me for ages and I could barely write for my other fics until I got this out. I'm not suuuper proud of it but I am happy with what I was able to ~produce~ I also definitely went through the posie tag on tumblr and made myself sad because it only made me remember how much the writers hate the fandom lol.
> 
> If you're a reader of my other fics, those updates are coming as well! Time got away from me along with writing this one shot haha.


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